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Inspiration
Golf expert, journalist and avid player Fionn Davenport rounds up fifteen of the most extraordinary and unusual golf courses in the world, to play once in your lifetime.
Travel bucket list idea:
Furnace Creek Golf Course
Death Valley National Park, California, United States of America (USA)
- https://www.oasisatdeathvalley.com
Last updated: 21 March, 2024
The clue is in the name: it gets pretty hot here. Although it’s set in a green oasis, don’t let the trees, ponds and greenery fool you.
Sitting 214 feet below sea level (making it the lowest golf course in the world), the searing heat of a Death Valley summer makes heat stroke a very real threat as sweat evaporates from the body before it has time to properly cool you. Keep an eye on the thermometer outside the clubhouse – the average summer temperature sits at around 115°F, or 45°C, and there are days when it tops out at over 130°F.
The course itself is relatively straightforward, although the low elevation, low barometric pressure – and even a coyote or two – can make the ball do unexpected things.
Logistics
Price from: £55
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around
Duration: -
Getting there & doing it
Book through the website. The 19th hole and the clubhouse have plenty of liquids, as do the carts that circulate the course. Wear loose clothes, long sleeves and bring plenty of suncream.
When to do it
Summer tee times are easy to get for obvious reasons, which is why this is a winter destination. Sundowner rates are half price.
Round-ups
Round-ups that include this experience